According to responses to freedom of information requests which Deputy Barry Cowen submitted to each local authority, there are still 2,751 vacant units in local authority ownership nationally. It seems incomprehensible given the fact that so many families are still in hotels with their children and that there is so much homelessness nationally that there could be 2,751 vacant units. Has the sense of urgency or emergency not seized people so that they might ensure this would not be the case? There are 600 vacant units in Cork alone between the city and the county. There are 372 vacant housing units in Dublin City Council, where there are lots of families.

That begs its own question.

The programme for Government is very strong. It is clear that the housing and homelessness issue is one of its centrepieces. Can the Tánaiste indicate to me when the strategy is going to be announced? Can she give me a timeline in that regard? Can she refer this to the Minister to ensure that the vacant unit issue is to the fore? A disastrous decision was taken to cut the refurbishment funding available to local authorities in the last 12 months. That should not have happened. We now have the results.

As the Deputy knows, the Department has placed a high priority on supporting local authorities in returning vacant units to productive use. Between 2014 and 2015, some 5,000 units were made available to those on the social housing list through funding provided under the refitting programme, which is financed by the Exchequer and the European Regional Development Fund, ERDF. Between 2014 and 2015, funding of more than €60 million was made available. There is a high priority on returning units to use and giving funding to local authorities to do that. That prioritisation will continue. The Minister will announce the programme in the next week or so.